‘Dear children,’ said a poor man to his four sons, ‘I have nothing to give you; —
“亲爱的孩子们，”一个穷人对他的四个儿子说道，“我没有什么可给你们的； —

you must go out into the wide world and try your luck. —
你们必须走向辽阔的世界，靠自己的能力谋生。 —

Begin by learning some craft or another, and see how you can get on. —
首先学习一门手艺，看看你们能取得什么成就。 —

’ So the four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands, and their little bundles on their shoulders, and after bidding their father goodbye, went all out at the gate together. —
“于是四个兄弟把手中的拐杖拿在手里，背着自己的小包袱，向外走去，对父亲告别后，他们一起走出了大门。 —

When they had got on some way they came to four crossways, each leading to a different country. —
走了一段路后，他们来到了四条岔路口，每条路通往不同的国家。大哥说， —

Then the eldest said, ‘Here we must part; —
“我们必须在这里分道扬镳； —

but this day four years we will come back to this spot, and in the meantime each must try what he can do for himself.’
但是四年后的今天，我们将回到这个地方，而在此期间，每个人都必须尽力而为。”

So each brother went his way; —
于是每个兄弟走了自己的路； —

and as the eldest was hastening on a man met him, and asked him where he was going, and what he wanted. —
大哥匆匆忙忙地走着，一位人遇到了他，问他要去哪里，想要得到什么。 —

‘I am going to try my luck in the world, and should like to begin by learning some art or trade, ’ answered he. —
“我打算在世界上寻找机遇，想从学一门手艺或工作开始，” 他回答道。 —

‘Then,’ said the man, ‘go with me, and I will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever was. —
‘那么，’那个人说道，‘跟我走吧，我将教你成为有史以来最狡猾的贼。’ —

’ ‘No,’ said the other, ‘that is not an honest calling, and what can one look to earn by it in the end but the gallows? —
‘不，’另一个人说道，‘那不是一个光明正大的职业，最后能得到什么呢？只有绞刑架罢了。 —

’ ‘Oh! —
’‘哦！ —

’ said the man, ‘you need not fear the gallows; for I will only teach you to steal what will be fair game: —
’那人说道，‘你不必担心绞刑架，因为我只会教你偷那些是公平竞争的东西： —

I meddle with nothing but what no one else can get or care anything about, and where no one can find you out. —
我仅仅涉及到别人无法得到或关心的东西，而且没有人能找到你。 —

’ So the young man agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed himself so clever, that nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon.
’于是年轻人同意了跟他学艺，并很快展现出如此聪明的才智，以至于他曾经决定要偷的东西没有一样能逃脱他的魔掌。

The second brother also met a man, who, when he found out what he was setting out upon, asked him what craft he meant to follow. —
第二个兄弟也遇到了一个人，当他了解了他打算从事什么手艺后，问他打算从事什么行业。 —

‘I do not know yet,’ said he. —
‘我还不知道，’他说道。 —

‘Then come with me, and be a star-gazer. —
‘那就跟我来，成为一个占星家。 —

It is a noble art, for nothing can be hidden from you, when once you understand the stars. —
这是一门高尚的艺术，一旦你理解了星星，没有什么能够对你隐藏的。 —

’ The plan pleased him much, and he soon became such a skilful star-gazer, that when he had served out his time, and wanted to leave his master, he gave him a glass, and said, ‘With this you can see all that is passing in the sky and on earth, and nothing can be hidden from you.’
这个计划让他非常满意，他很快就成为了一个熟练的星观者，以至于当他服满了他的时间，并想要离开他的老师时，他给了他一个望远镜，说道：“有了这个，你可以看到天空和地球上发生的一切，没有什么可以瞒着你。”

The third brother met a huntsman, who took him with him, and taught him so well all that belonged to hunting, that he became very clever in the craft of the woods; —
第三个弟弟遇到了一个猎人，他带着他，教他所有关于打猎的技能，以至于他在林间打猎的艺术方面非常聪明； —

and when he left his master he gave him a bow, and said, ‘Whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure to hit.’
当他离开他的老师时，他给了他一张弓，并说：“无论你用这张弓射击什么，你都能确定命中。”

The youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished to do. —
最年轻的弟弟也遇到了一个人，问他想做什么。 “难道你不想成为一名裁缝？”他说： —

‘Would not you like,’ said he, ‘to be a tailor?’ ‘Oh, no! —
“哦，不！每天从早到晚盘腿坐着，来回用针和鹅丝线工作，这不适合我。” —

’ said the young man; —
他们懂了我的意思， —

‘sitting cross-legged from morning to night, working backwards and forwards with a needle and goose, will never suit me. —
取他们应得的报酬，或者他们不必再来找我。” —

’ ‘Oh!’ answered the man, ‘that is not my sort of tailoring; —
“哦！”男人回答道，“那不是我做的那种缝纫活； —

come with me, and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that. —
跟我来，你将学到完全不同类型的手艺。” —

’ Not knowing what better to do, he came into the plan, and learnt tailoring from the beginning; —
不知道该怎么办，他进入了这个计划，并从头开始学习裁缝技艺； —

and when he left his master, he gave him a needle, and said, ‘You can sew anything with this, be it as soft as an egg or as hard as steel; —
当他离开师傅时，师傅给了他一根针，说：“你可以用这根针缝制任何东西，无论是像鸡蛋一样软还是像钢一样硬； —

and the joint will be so fine that no seam will be seen.’
并且接缝会如此细致，以至于没有任何缝线可见。”

After the space of four years, at the time agreed upon, the four brothers met at the four cross-roads; —
四年后约定的时间到了，四个兄弟在四个十字路口相遇； —

and having welcomed each other, set off towards their father’s home, where they told him all that had happened to them, and how each had learned some craft.
他们互相欢迎后，一起向父亲的家走去，在那里他们告诉父亲发生在他们身上的一切，以及每个人学了一些手艺。

Then, one day, as they were sitting before the house under a very high tree, the father said, ‘I should like to try what each of you can do in this way. —
有一天，他们坐在房子前面的一棵很高的树下，父亲说：“我想试试你们每个人在这方面能做些什么。” —

’ So he looked up, and said to the second son, ‘At the top of this tree there is a chaffinch’s nest; —
他抬头看着第二个儿子说：“在树顶上有一个金翅雀的巢， —

tell me how many eggs there are in it. —
请告诉我里面有几个蛋。” —

’ The star-gazer took his glass, looked up, and said, ‘Five.’ ‘Now, ’ said the father to the eldest son, ‘take away the eggs without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them know anything of what you are doing. —
星观者拿起望远镜，抬头看着说：“有五个。”然后父亲对长子说：“把蛋拿走，但不要让孵蛋的鸟察觉你在做什么。” —

’ So the cunning thief climbed up the tree, and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the bird; —
于是狡诈的贼爬上树，将五个蛋偷偷地带给了他的父亲。 —

and it never saw or felt what he was doing, but kept sitting on at its ease. —
那只鸟没有注意到或感觉到他在做什么，只顾着安心地孵着蛋。 —

Then the father took the eggs, and put one on each corner of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman, ‘Cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot. —
接着父亲将蛋放在桌子的每个角落，第五个放在中间，并对猎手说：“一箭射断所有的蛋。” —

’ The huntsman took up his bow, and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished.
猎手拿起弓，在一箭之下射中了父亲要求的五个蛋。

‘Now comes your turn, ’ said he to the young tailor; —
“现在轮到你了，”他对那位年轻的裁缝说道， —

‘sew the eggs and the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the shot shall have done them no harm. —
“把那些蛋和幼鸟再缝在一起，缝得那么整齐，仿佛枪击并没有伤害它们一样。” —

’ Then the tailor took his needle, and sewed the eggs as he was told; —
然后裁缝拿出针，按照他的吩咐把蛋缝好； —

and when he had done, the thief was sent to take them back to the nest, and put them under the bird without its knowing it. —
等他缝完后，小偷被派去将它们偷回巢中，偷偷地放在鸟的底下。 —

Then she went on sitting, and hatched them: —
接着，鸟继续孵蛋，没过几天， —

and in a few days they crawled out, and had only a little red streak across their necks, where the tailor had sewn them together.
小鸟们爬了出来，只在脖子上有一道小红线，那是裁缝缝合它们时留下的。

‘Well done, sons!’ said the old man; —
“干得好，孩子们！”老人说道， —

‘you have made good use of your time, and learnt something worth the knowing; —
“你们好好利用时间，学到了一些有价值的东西； —

but I am sure I do not know which ought to have the prize. —
但我确实不知道哪个应该得奖。 —

Oh, that a time might soon come for you to turn your skill to some account!’
希望很快有机会让你们把这个技能用起来！”

Not long after this there was a great bustle in the country; —
不久之后，乡下掀起了一片喧闹； —

for the king’s daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon, and the king mourned over his loss day and night, and made it known that whoever brought her back to him should have her for a wife. —
因为国王的女儿被一只巨龙劫走了，国王日夜为失去她而悲痛，他宣告谁能把她带回来就娶她为妻。 —

Then the four brothers said to each other, ‘Here is a chance for us; —
于是四个兄弟对彼此说：“这是我们的机会， —

let us try what we can do. —
让我们试试看能做些什么。” —

’ And they agreed to see whether they could not set the princess free. —
他们一致同意要把公主救回来。 —

‘I will soon find out where she is, however, ’ said the star-gazer, as he looked through his glass; —
“不过，我很快就能找到她在哪，”望远镜师傅说着，透过望远镜张望。 —

and he soon cried out, ‘I see her afar off, sitting upon a rock in the sea, and I can spy the dragon close by, guarding her. —
他很快就喊道：“我看见她远处坐在海上的岩石上，而且我能看见巨龙就在她旁边，守护着她。” —

’ Then he went to the king, and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers; —
然后他去找国王，请求为自己和兄弟们准备一艘船。 —

and they sailed together over the sea, till they came to the right place. —
他们一起乘船航行过海，直到到达目的地。 —

There they found the princess sitting, as the star-gazer had said, on the rock; —
他们在那里找到了公主，正如望远镜师傅所说， —

and the dragon was lying asleep, with his head upon her lap. —
她坐在岩石上；而巨龙正躺在她的膝上沉睡。 —

‘I dare not shoot at him,’ said the huntsman, ‘for I should kill the beautiful young lady also. —
“我不敢射击他，”猎人说，“因为我会杀死那位美丽的年轻女士。” —

’ ‘Then I will try my skill, ’ said the thief, and went and stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly and gently that the beast did not know it, but went on snoring.
“那我来试试我的本事，”小偷说，并悄悄地从龙的身下偷走了她，如此安静和温柔，以至于那兽竟没有发觉，继续打着鼾睡。

Then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards the ship; —
然后他们兴高采烈地冲向船，满载着喜悦，驶向船只， —

but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air; —
但是龙忽然在他们身后呼啸而来； —

for he awoke and missed the princess. —
因为他醒来了，发现公主不见了。 —

But when he got over the boat, and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so that he fell down dead. —
但当他飞越船只，想要扑向他们把公主抓走时，猎人拿起弓，直接击中了他的心脏，使他倒下毙命。 —

They were still not safe; —
他们还没有安全， —

for he was such a great beast that in his fall he overset the boat, and they had to swim in the open sea upon a few planks. —
因为他是如此巨大的怪物，以至于他倒下的时候把船给扯翻了，他们只好在几块木板上在大海中游泳。 —

So the tailor took his needle, and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together; —
于是裁缝拿起了他的针，在几块木板上用大针脚缝了起来； —

and he sat down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the boat; —
他坐在上面，四处航行，把船的所有碎片都收集起来； —

and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe.
然后他们迅速地把它们拼凑在一起，船很快就准备好了，他们随后到达了船上，安全地回到了家。

When they had brought home the princess to her father, there was great rejoicing; —
当他们把公主带回给她的父亲时，大家都很高兴； —

and he said to the four brothers, ‘One of you shall marry her, but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to be. —
他对四兄弟说：“你们中的一个将会娶她为妻，但你们必须自己决定是谁。” —

’ Then there arose a quarrel between them; —
然后他们之间发生了争吵； —

and the star-gazer said, ‘If I had not found the princess out, all your skill would have been of no use; —
占星师说：“如果不是我找到了公主，你们的技能就没有用处； —

therefore she ought to be mine. —
所以她应该是我的。” —

’ ‘Your seeing her would have been of no use, ’ said the thief, ‘if I had not taken her away from the dragon; —
小偷说：“你看到她也没有用处，如果不是我把她从龙的手中救出来； —

therefore she ought to be mine. —
所以她应该是我的。” —

’ ‘No, she is mine,’ said the huntsman; —
猎人说：“不，她是我的； —

‘for if I had not killed the dragon, he would, after all, have torn you and the princess into pieces. —
因为如果不是我杀死了龙，他最终会撕裂你和公主。” —

’ ‘And if I had not sewn the boat together again, ’ said the tailor, ‘you would all have been drowned, therefore she is mine. —
裁缝说：“如果不是我把船重新缝合起来，你们都会被淹死，所以她应该是我的。” —

’ Then the king put in a word, and said, ‘Each of you is right; —
然后国王插话说：“你们每个人都是对的； —

and as all cannot have the young lady, the best way is for neither of you to have her: —
既然不能让大家都得到这位年轻女士，最好的办法就是谁都不要她。 —

for the truth is, there is somebody she likes a great deal better. —
因为事实上，她喜欢的人比你们谁都多。” —

But to make up for your loss, I will give each of you, as a reward for his skill, half a kingdom. —
“但为了弥补你们的损失，我会按照你们的技巧，给予每人半个王国作为奖励。” —

’ So the brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them. —
于是兄弟们一致同意这个计划比争吵或追求一个并不喜欢他们的女士要好得多。 —

And the king then gave to each half a kingdom, as he had said; —
然后国王按照他说过的，给了每个人半个王国； —

and they lived very happily the rest of their days, and took good care of their father; —
他们余生都过得非常幸福，并好好照顾他们的父亲； —

and somebody took better care of the young lady, than to let either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again.
还有人比让龙或者工匠再次得到她更好地照顾着这位年轻女士。